WASHINGTON

 The U.S. coalition has carried out more than a dozen airstrikes on Daesh targets around the Iraqi city of Tikrit, the U.S. said Thursday.

"In Tikrit, Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 airstrikes approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense," according to a statement by the task force coordinating the coalition against Daesh.  

The strikes destroyed a Daesh building, two bridges, three checkpoints, two staging areas and two berms, all belonging to or under the control of the terror group. 

A Daesh-controlled command and control facility was also destroyed.

The Iraqi government had not asked for U.S. or the coalition support at the beginning of it offensive earlier this month in Tikrit, seen as a critical test for Iraqi ground forces to seal off militants from their strongholds in northern Iraq, particularly the city of Mosul.

But airstrikes around Tikrit, a strategic city about 110 miles (180 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, commenced Wednesday night after a request from the Iraqi government. 

"The ongoing Iraqi and coalition airstrikes are setting the conditions for offensive action to be conducted by Iraqi forces currently surrounding Tikrit," said Lt. Gen. James Terry, U.S. commander of campaign.